40. Migration; movie review

 

MIGRATION

Cert U

91 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild threat, violence, rude humour

Here you go - an animation with plenty of laughs at a very punchy 83 minutes.

Thus, I heartily recommend Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy's Migration to the whole family.

The unlikely migration of ducks from northern America to Jamaica is based on lovely characters and imaginative tangents.

Its focus is a risk-averse father duck (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani) who initially demands that his wife (Elizabeth Banks) and kids (Tresi Gazal and Caspar Jennings) quell their thirst for adventure and continue their predictable but safe life at their home pond.

However, his head is turned by his wizened old uncle (Danny DeVito), and away they go.

Inevitably, the dad's worst fears transpire in the shape of some hungry herons and a particularly vicious chef encountered along the way.

The ducks also have their minds blown by flying through New York, where they face up to the pigeons of Central Park.

Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and David Mitchell are among those lending voices to characters who are wonderfully quirky.

They all play their parts in a gag-fest, and while not all of the jokes hit the mark, many do.

There are also some worthwhile subliminal messages about living life to the full and the importance of family.

It was the most entertaining animation I have seen in quite a while.

Reasons to watch: Plenty of laughs

Reasons to avoid: Slightly predictable

Laughs: Five

Jumps: None

Vomit: Regurgitation

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The majority of British and Irish Shelduck undergo a 'moult migration' to the Wadden Sea, which runs along the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. They make this journey every year in late summer, after they have finished breeding.

The final word. Benjamin Renner: "Kumail Nanjiani has a stand-up comedy sketch where he’s always complaining about new things. He loves a routine. I thought, "That’s perfect." When we gave him the script he was like, "Yeah. That’s me. That’s exactly me."" Animation Scoop

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